Our trip to Joshua Tree was just what the doctor ordered. We just went through a pretty long, thorough, house buying process, it’s the holiday season, and we’ve been working our butts off lately. A trip to the Joshua Tree Casita with our friends Tim & Merrill was the perfect retreat. If you haven’t been to Joshua Tree, we highly recommend it. We’re not sure why it took us so long to visit. There is just enough to do there to not feel like you’re the last man on earth, and there is so much open desert and sky to just turn off that ol’ brain of yours and get to relaxing.

The drive from Phoenix was about four hours long and it was pretty much just open road and mountain views. We recently spoke about our reliable, trusty Toyota Corolla and the car buying process and these trips remind us why it’s so important to have the right vehicle to get from A to B. Our first car, before Arthur, was an old Honda from the 90s, and while it definitely got the job done for day-to-day travel, it would’ve never lasted on these little road trips of ours, especially not on the dirt roads of Joshua Tree. It was nice to not have to worry and just turn the music up, chat about our 2017 goals (this year flew by) and get to our destination. The clarity and efficiency of Capital One’s Auto Navigator® site makes finding and financing a car a breeze. Instead of wasting time on a ton of different sites trying to figure out which is the right car for you and whether or not you can afford it, the Auto Navigator site has it all in one spot, so you can spend that extra time traveling to see the one’s you care about. We wish we had that option back when we got our car. If your goal for 2017 is more travel, we highly recommend checking this out before you hit the road.

Sara and Rich Combs are the amazing, master minds behind these homes. Every inch of these properties has been thought out and jam packed with inspiring decor. The Combs are high school sweethearts who were the kindest hosts we could have asked for. We were so happy to be able to gather around the fire at sunset with some wine, cheese & crackers, they so generously prepared. While under a few layers of blankets and shooting stars, we share stories, including how they landed in Joshua Tree. They are incredible people and we can’t thank them enough for their hospitality and friendship.

Joshua Tree is definitely more of a weekend destination if you’re looking to go out, so not everything was open for our mid-week getaway. Here are the places we enjoyed most:

WHERE TO EAT:Pie For the People – New York style pizza and garlic knots was the first meal when we got to Joshua Tree. It was delicious and really the only way we could imagine we’d kick off our trip with The Melideos.

Natural Sisters – Breakfast to-go on our last day in Joshua Tree. It reminded us of a NY deli with bagel and egg sandwiches and yogurt fruit cups. They were so kind here and super accommodating with dairy restrictions.

WHERE TO SHOP: There are so many amazing vintage shops, that are not overpricked, so you can find some pretty great treasures. Here are a few of our favorites:

The End – I’ll start with the staff who were so kind and chatted with us for quite a while about how they ended up in Joshua Tree and why they love it. They were great! Now on to the goods…this place is classic Joshua Tree and felt like a work of art in itself. It felt more like an authentic 60s style shop than a vintage store.

Promised Land – Lots of vintage boots and so much more. Very clean aesthetic.

Hoof and the Horn – A great mix of new and vintage goods. Probably the most curated shop in Joshua Tree with classic, boho vibes, and well known brands.

Hoodoo – Records, comics, t-shirts, and tiki goods. We walked out with a few jazz records as usual.

You all look like you have had the most incredible time! Never been to Joshua Tree, let alone anything around that area, but I would love to visit one day. Love all of these photos and the interior of the place you guys stayed is just absolutely impeccable!